Heel and toe stiffener for boots and shoes.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

w. P. THOREI. HEEL AND TOE STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 16. 1906.

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gWENDELL P.-THORE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. HEEL AND TOE STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

To all .whOm it may concern:

Be it known that I, WENDELL P. THORE, a citizen of the United,States, of Boston, in I thel'countflofISuflolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Heel and Toe Stifi'eners for Boots and Shoes, of which the following, taken in connection With the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to a shield for reinforcing the heel or toe of a boot or shoe, and consists in a sheet of thin elastic and moldable material, preferably metal, which is cut sofas to form a series of points and also kerfed, whereby the sheet may be readily molded into the desired shape for a reinforcingl'piece for a heel or toe of a boot or shoe and,!if desirable, be cemented or otherwise connected to leather or other soft material to form a compound heel or toe piece.

' The article is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Flgure 1 is a plan view showing the moldable sheet mostly in dotted line and also showing the inclosing parts which, together with the moldable sheet, constitute the compound heel or toe piece. Fig. 2 shows the moldable sheet as it appears when molded and curved into shape. Fig. 3 shows in sectional elevation the moldable sheet when molded and curved into sha e.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings have shown the moldable sheet when combined with strips of leather or other pliable material for forming the compound stiffener. The moldable sheet A is of a single piece having a continuous 11 per part B, a series of teeth 0 O and kerfs I) D extending upward from the junctions of the teeth 0 O to the continuous part B. The moldable sheet A is placed between the strips F and G and then cemented or otherwise connected so as to form a compound stiffener.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the moldable plate is shown in its molded and bent form and ready to be used in connection with the leather of the boot or shoe. The particular use of the several parts, namely, the continuous part B, the teeth or points C C, and the kerfs D may be eXIplained as follows The continuous part 3 passes partly around the upper art of the heel-piece or the toe-piece, the

erfs D admit of the expansion of the metal as it is being molded to form the bulged part A (Fig 3), that is, the kerfs D open as the rocess of molding takes place and form leaf- 7 like openings, as shown in Fig. 3, and the spaces between the points 0 C will be closed up, admitting of the inward curving of the lower part as shown in Fi 3. In case that the moldable plate is to be used for a toepiece stiffener it is desirable to curve the middle section somewhat more than that part would be if it were to be used as aheel stiffener.

Claims As a new article of manufacture, a stiffener for the heels of boots and shoes comprising an elastic moldable plate made as shown, having a continuous upper part, a middle strip cut by a series of vertical parallel kerfs whereby the central part of the stifl'ener is allowed to expand in molding, and alower part or strip consisting of deep serrations the apexes of which terminate in the said parallel kerfs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 13th day of June A. D. 1906.

WENDELL P. THORE.

Witnesses:

FRANK G. PARKER, JonN BUCKLER. 

